Needless to say it also includes a hidden sound system powerful enough most rock bands would kill for (and metal bands would sacrifice fans onstage for) in order to let everyone hear them. For some reason, subtitles under a big floating holographic head just aren't as impressive as a big booming voice.

If they don't have the tech to do this, they may substitute it by using huge screens on dirigibles or buildings, which is a favorite for dictators.

Examples:

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Comics

In one Post-CrisisSuperman story where Jor-El confronts the Science Council, the Council is represented as Huge Holographic Heads. Jor-El sardonically notes that even when you go to see them in person, you don't see them in person.

In a Starman issue, when the heroes are diverted to Krypton's past, Jor-El's father Seyg-El has the annoying habit of only speaking through these.

Merlin greets the visitors with one of these in Shrek the Third, in a homage to the Wizard of Oz.

Films — Live-Action

In Equilibrium messages from the leader of the totalitarianist regime, "Father", does this with massive screens throughout the city. Subverted in that the real Father died years before. DuPont has been impersonating him since then.

In The World Is Not Enough during the briefing in MI6 Scotland scene, M shows Bond how the bullet lodged in Renard's head is slowly killing him by blowing up a large holographic depiction of his head and the bullet's travel therein.

In Superman, Jor-El speaks to and finishes training Kal-El in the Fortress of Solitude using this trope. However, By Superman II it has been downgraded apparently to a projection of his mother on a crystal screen.

Subverted in the Star WarsExpanded Universe by the Hutts. As noted above under "Film," Huge Holographic Head mode is reserved for the Emperor himself by Imperial decree. It is mentioned at least once that many Hutts dislike how diminutive tiny-full-body mode made them appear and refuse to use holographic communicators, insisting on being displayed on large 2D viewscreens or by audio only so that they can appear more intimidating.

In The Thrawn Trilogy, Thrawn quietly lampshades this after C'baoth contacts him using "the Emperor's private hologram setting." Pelleon himself notices one of the flaws in the technique, in that C'boath doesn't have the self control and confidence needed, meaning that little flaws and hesitations are amplified for all to see.

Wraith Squadron has Warlord Zsinj use an oversized holo of himself to talk to an admiral, who adjusts the size downward, saying that he's getting a crick in his neck.

Partial example: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, having originated on radio, doesn't bother with the giant head and just has the alien menace speak through the hidden powerful sound system with no visuals. Still notable because the novel actually spares a paragraph to explain how the hidden powerful sound system was achieved.

In the Chung Kuo series, a surveillance system scanning random people in the lower City levels

A fantasy example in Codex Alera has powerful Watercrafters able to create lifelike images in pools of water.

A non-villainous example in The Pendragon Adventure. When Bobby first steps onto Veelox, he's greeted by pitch blackness and Aja Killian's giant, floating, holographic head. He eventually starts wondering whether the hologram reflects the physical reality in any way. Considering what he's been through, you can't really blame him.

Played for humor in "Reach" by Edward Gibson. The Jerk Ass boss has set up a holoconferencing call to establish what went wrong with their latest space probe. Everyone is shocked when one of the callers appears as a giant head because he accidentally set his camera on closeup.

The Wizard of Oz: The Wizard takes this form when speaking to Dorothy. The others, though, are treated to different illusions.

In an homage to the Superman example above, a season 8 episode of How I Met Your Mother has Barney using this in his apartment, first as training for Ted, then for fun, then Robin uses it to scare some people out of the apartment.

Although not evil, Red Dwarf has the titular ship's computer, Holly, use this as in interface to interact with the main character. Holly's not evil, but definitely mad.

Zordon, the main exposition source for the first 4 series of Power Rangers, exists solely as a floating head in a tube.

Named but never seen in his natural form, the alien visitors in 3rd Rock from the Sun' live in perpetual fear of a superior known only as The Big Giant Head, an egotistic monster who takes on human form in a body looking suspiciously like William Shatner.

In the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "The Nth Degree," an alien race called the Cytherians greets the Enterprise crew via a huge, presumably-holographic head manifesting on the bridge. Unusually for this trope, the Cytherians are benevolent.

Music

The tours of Jeff Wayne's Musical Version of The War of the Worlds gives Sir Richard Burton this treatment. It went through two variations: the first, from the 2006 tour, was a large, papier-mache "head" over which the hologram was projected. The second, from the 2010 tour, was a full-on CGI recreation of the actor.

Another full body example: in the civilization stage of Spore, religious attacks on a city will include a giant hologram speaking to the city trying to convert it.

Happens in Sonic Adventure 2 when Dr. Robotnik announces his plans for world domination, shortly before blowing up the moon.

In the Mass Effect 2 Kasumi DLC, Donovan Hock addresses the player using one of these that fills half the (rather large) room. And the acting is at least as over-the-top as the presentation.

At the end of the Arrival DLC, Harbinger himself pops up as one of these to vent his annoyance at Shepard for delaying the Reapers yet again, along with the usual "we cannot be stopped" monologue.

In the first Space Quest, you encounter one of these as part of a puzzle. In the fourth, Vohaul is resurrected as one.

In Dm C Devil May Cry, Bob Barbas' true form is a giant holographic head seemingly made of data.

As shown in the quote above, this is how Kaos portrays himself in Skylanders: Spyro's Adventure. This is mostly a way to intimidate people, since his real self isn't that scary. Sadly, his hammy tendencies usually ruin it. He basically trades it in for a Humongous Mecha in the second game.

Madblood: PEOPLE OF EARTH, YOUR ATTENTION PLEASE! I choose to address you as a 300-mile holographic projection against the ionosphere solely to secure the attention of Helen Narbon, whom I regret I am unable to join for dinner this evening. I apologize profusely and assure Miss Narbon that when Earth is brought under my heel, she, the planet's loveliest blossom, may have the continent of her choice. Except Europe. Mother dibsied it.

The Order of the Stick does this with a magical image of Lord Shojo's head when Belkar activates his Mark of Justice.

In Bob and George, the leaders of the Soviet Union consult the projected giant floating head of Josef Stalin whenever Communism faces a crisis. Later on, the leaders of the United States consult the giant floating head of Joe McCarthy when faced with a communist threat.

Web Original

In France Five ep. 5, Zackaral's hologram appears above Paris to announce the public execution of Pro. Burgonde.

This is how The Sovereign likes to appear in The Venture Bros.. Although given his shapeshifting powers, he could actually make himself look like this.

In the Australian satire Go to Hell! (1997) by Ray Nowland, Ancient Astronauts G.D. uses this to convice the primitive Earthlings that he is a God. They get less impressed over the centuries, so he has to resort to more physical interventions, like giving King Ramses II a nuclear reactor. Eventually G.D's rebellious son Red (who bares a physical resemblence to Satan) nicks the reactor and uses its holographic projector for more mundane purposes, like scaring away bandits from the Israelites or Flipping the Bird to G.D.

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